PSA: Some Insight into Sex Differences in Completed Suicides

submitted by MarkTwainiac from self.GenderCritical

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[–]lefterfield 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

I suppose... On the one hand, I see the absurdity of socialized concern for others in that situation. On the other, I'm in favor of anything that stops someone from choosing a more reliable or more fatal means of killing themselves... and all it really suggests is that women are socialized to have empathy. What we need more of is socializing men to feel empathy, too.

[–]Realwoman 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

It's not just socialization, baby girls are more interested in faces than baby boys and greater empathy is observed in most female mammals since they're the ones taking care of the young.

[–]lefterfield 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Fair, but that's all the more reason to have early intervention with boys. If it's a skill they need to learn(which I would argue it is) and it's something that doesn't come naturally to them, then it's something we need to focus on more with boys.

[–]Realwoman 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Yes, but you can't completely erase true differences, the same way women can't become as tall and as strong as men even if they train and eat the right way. Men will always be more aggressive and male aggression is demonstrated in a variety of species. Testosterone is a hell of a drug.

Now on how to prevent suicide, that's a complicated topic.

[–]lefterfield 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I don't completely agree and I don't know what that has to do with what I said. Women can't become as tall and strong as men because those are biological sex differences, and I've never denied that those exist. But when it comes to human emotions and relating to others, it is not at all clear that there is male vs female brain mode. Even if there was... Teaching children empathy is a good thing. Not sure why anyone thinks otherwise.

[–]Realwoman 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Of course it is good to teach children empathy. It's interesting that autism (which is a disorder of empathy) presents differently in girls and in boys and girls have a better prognosis in general. It can't be all because of socialization because autistic girls are less likely to pick up on subtle cues about gender stereotypes.

Also, the fact that men are more aggressive is pretty well established. Testosterone is a hell of a drug

[–]lefterfield 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Autistic children are still socialized. Not being as good at picking up on gender stereotypes has nothing to do with how you're treated by other people, or how you respond to it.

The point is: Girls are socialized to have greater empathy. We know this. It is part of the socialization of girls vs boys. Whether they are also naturally better at it or not is completely irrelevant to my statement that boys need more empathy development. It's a skill, like anything else, and it can be taught. And like any other skill, some people will struggle with it and some won't.